Shadows of Light
by xPaige Turnerx
Summary: Alternate Universe. Alice/Bella. "I took her pain and the darkness that threatened to taint her, replacing it with all my happiness and my light. I became the monster so she wouldn't have to."
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar you read here.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Pairing: Alice/Bella.**

**Summary: AU. A/B. I took her pain and the darkness that threatened to taint her, replacing it with all my happiness and my light. I became the monster so she wouldn't have to.**

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Biloxi, Mississippi. 1905_

The raindrops on the window looked almost like twinkling little stars against the dark clouds up in the sky. She connected some of them in her mind, creating a tree, a chair, and a house, while she held her palm against the cool glass, feeling the raindrops pelt against it. If she closed her big brown eyes, the little vibrations felt like a pulse, as if her home had a heartbeat of its own. Maybe it did, and the only time you could feel it was when it rained? Perhaps they were living in a living thing, like the man who lived in the whale?

It would need a name then, because all living things had names, right?

Of course, trees didn't have names, and they were living things, too.

Why did people name their pets but not their trees?

"Isabella," The little girl's mother called from the kitchen.

The brunette's brown eyes snapped open, a smile forming on her face as she hopped off the window seat. "Yes, mamma?" Bella straightened her trousers and fixed the suspenders holding them up, racing off to find her mother in the other room. She wrapped her little arms around her mother's waist, looking up at her with a bright and eager smile.

Renee smiled back softly, tucking a lock of her daughter's long hair behind her ear. "I need a favour from you, sweetie. Do you think you can run this flyer over to Mrs. Cunningham's house? I need to go to the market and I won't have time to do both before your father is home."

"Sure," Bella chimed excitedly. "I can help." She took the flyer from her mother, flipping it over and over as she inspected it before heading to the front door.

Her mother followed behind, grabbing her daughter's little coat from the closet and held it open for her to slip her arms through. "You remember where her house is, right? Way down at the end of the road, so hurry, I don't want you catching a cold in the rain." She said with a frown, taking down Charlie's old newsboy cap. It was a little big on Bella, but at least it would keep the rain out of her face. "Don't run though, either. I don't want you to trip and hurt yourself."

The girl couldn't even wear _dresses_ for goodness' sake, not without falling every other step and tripping on the material. She had to wear hand-me-down trousers, whose waist was taken in by Renee, and suspenders to hold them up. Her daughter was a terrible klutz.

"I know," Bella pouted. She had just turned eight last month, a big girl now, but her mother was still treating her like a baby. "Am I ready?" She asked, clutching the flyer between her pale little fingers, standing in front of the front door.

Renee sighed deeply, smiling feebly. She thanked whoever listened that Bella had such soft, elegant features, with long, wavy hair, otherwise people might confuse her for a boy all the time. She decided that her and Bella would go take dance lessons, _something_ to help with the girl's balance so she could wear more girly clothing. "Yes, honey, you're ready."

The little brunette grinned brightly, turning and swinging the door open. "Bye, momma!" She skipped down the front porch and into the rain, focusing to keep her feet underneath her as she waved to her mother.

"Be careful, Isabella!" Renee called out into the rain one last time.

Biloxi was a nice place to live and grow up, the community was small enough where everyone knew everyone else, and all the parents and grandparents grew up together. Bella knew the layout of most of it, all by heart, but she always found places were somehow different in the rain. It was the same…but not. Like how the bright backyard could look like a dark, scary place in the dark. This was almost like that, but different. It wasn't scary.

There weren't nearly as many people out when it rained, in fact, Bella couldn't see _anyone_ outside on the sidewalks with her. She looked back down at the flyer in her hands, wondering just what it was and why Mrs. Cunningham needed it, but her mother didn't. Was it a mistake? Had the delivery boy accidentally given it to the wrong person?

The brunette's brows furrowed as she stared at it, frowning absently.

If he made mistakes like that, they'd need a new delivery boy. _She_ was good at giving things to people. Right now was a fine example of that.

Maybe she should be the delivery _girl_? She could make money and buy treats and toys and stuff!

Bella gasped, falling forward, and stumbled enough to catch her footing. She whirled around and glared at the raised edge of the sidewalk she had tripped on, the outrage in her eyes almost comical. The nerve of that sidewalk to just _trip_ her like that!

She was already a little wound up as she turned back around, continuing on her way to Mrs. Cunningham's house. She stormed down the rest of the way, nearly at the end of the road when she saw it.

A group of little boys around her age, it looked like.

The girl wasn't exactly known for being very social. She was a _very_ polite and friendly little girl, and people _did_ like her, but…she didn't really have any friends. The other little girls in town treated her like a boy, and the boys treated her like a girl, and at that age, both had cooties to their other, neither wanting to be _friends_ with each other. So Bella skirted around the edges, talking to kids sometimes, but usually kept to herself and stuffed her face in a book or played alone.

Another trait that Renee had spent hours at night worrying about.

She was perfectly content to just duck her face and walk past these little boys playing in the rain, in the middle of the road, and hurry along her way up to Mrs. Cunningham's door. In fact, that's what she _was_ doing, quickening her pace as the kids wrestled around, and she was almost completely past them when she heard a tiny little voice that sounded like wind chimes.

_"Stop!"_

Bella's muscles all locked in place, her body freezing, as if she walked into an invisible wall.

And she was the only one as the rest of the little boys continued to wrestle.

Her eyebrow rose curiously as she turned around, looking back to the group in the middle of the road. She examined the scuffle going on, trying to find the source of the voice, and her eyes widened in horror at what she saw.

There, in the middle of the group of boys, was a little girl. She was much smaller than the boys, smaller than Bella herself, in a little blue dress with her long black hair plastered against her in the rain. She looked near tears and scared out of her wits as she tried to protect herself, ended up falling to the ground on her hands and knees, letting out a wail of pain.

Before she could even blink at her thoughts, Bella was running out into the road and pushing through the group of boys to stand in front of the little girl.

These kids were being _mean_ and she wouldn't just stand by and let this little girl get hurt. It wasn't right, and Charlie taught her right from wrong at a very young age.

"Stop it," she yelled at them, pushing one away from them. "You leave her alone right now!"

One of the boys frowned. "Look out," he demanded. This was another _girl_ and he wasn't going to let her tell him what to do. "We don't want to play with you."

"This isn't playing." Bella said, shaking her head furiously.

Another little boy laughed with his friends, lightly patting Bella's shoulder. "We're just having fun. It's only Mary Alice."

The brunette looked down at the little girl who wouldn't meet her eye, and then back up at the boys. "No more."

"Stop telling us what to do! You're a girl and we don't have to listen to you!" The first little boy pushed Bella roughly, sending her to the ground next to Mary Alice.

Bella gasped again, looking up with wide eyes. She slowly got to her feet, more of that outrage returning, and did what Charlie showed her.

_"Boys can be mean, honey, and you need to know how to stick up for yourself."_

She balled up her fist as tight as she could, holding it back behind her, and then swung it forward with as much might as she could muster up. The boy cried out, his hands coming up to his nose as he fell onto his back. He moaned, fighting back tears as his shoulders started to shake, unable to even _try_ to get up. Bella glared at the rest of them. "That's a 'mean right hook' and there's plenty more where it came from," she recited her father's words in that scary way he showed her.

The rest of the little boys quickly picked up their friend and ran off, some of them threatening to tattle on her as they raced away.

"Thank you," That little voice from before said.

Bella turned and looked down at Mary Alice, her face smoothing back out again as her eyes softened. She crouched down in front of her, ducking to try and look at her eyes. "Hey, are you okay?"

Mary Alice hesitated before looking up and down the street. "They…they took my coat and I hurt my knee." She said quietly.

In the blink of an eye, Bella was shrugging out of her own coat, and crouching back down to wrap it around the little girl. "Can you walk on it?" She asked, grabbing those small hands and helping her up. Mary Alice gasped at the burning in her knee, falling forwards into Bella's arms, and the two collapsed back to the ground. "Alright, no walking!" Bella laughed.

"I'm sorry," Mary Alice mumbled, looking away.

Bella frowned. "Hey now, don't worry. I've got an idea. Just scoot over to the sidewalk and off the road, it's dangerous. I'll be right back, I promise."

She waited for Mary Alice to hesitantly nod before she ran off back towards her house, the flyer tucked in the waist line of her trousers. She was careful not to trip, running as fast as she could in case those boys came back. It only took a few minutes until Bella reached her own yard, and ran around the side of the house to the back yard where a bunch of her toys were. Her dark eyes scoured the lawn until they came to rest on a bright red wagon, and she smiled brightly, racing over to grab it and started wheeling it back to the sidewalk.

Her clothes were soaking wet, dripping, as she ran all the way back down to the end of the road again, not quite as fast this time. The wagon was a lot heavier than it looked, her father made it seem so easy when he pulled her around in it. Still, she went as fast as she could, and eventually returned, spotting a little form on the side of the road. She stopped right behind Mary Alice, huffing and puffing, her cheeks bright red as she went to catch her breath.

Mary Alice's eyes widened as she looked at the fancy wagon with the white letters on the side. Her electric blue eyes slowly traveled over to this strange older girl that was helping her for no reason at all, and she bit her lip. Why was she helping her? Why was she being so nice? Did she want something?

Bella straightened back out, taking one last deep breath, and smiled. "Okay, I just need to put this flyer in Mrs. Cunningham's mail box." She said, trotting off to the right yard and shoved the flyer into the little blue box at the end of the driveway. She turned back and returned to Mary Alice, crouching back down. "I'll help you onto the wagon and then pull you, that way you don't have to walk."

She was rather proud of her plan.

The younger girl looked back to the wagon, then to her bleeding knee, and finally to those big brown eyes that were starting to make her feel better. She slowly smiled. "Okay."

The brunette grinned and grabbed those hands again, carefully helping Mary Alice back up, and held most of her weight as the little girl lowered herself onto the wagon. Bella stuck her tongue out the corner of her mouth, concentrating on being gentle as she lifted Mary Alice's hurt leg, and turned the girl to rest her legs along the inside of the wagon.

"Hold on tight or you'll topple off the back," She warned. Her mind flashed back to the first time Charlie pulled her in the wagon, and the big goose egg she had on the back of her head for the rest of the day. It was _not_ a fun time. "Ready?"

Mary Alice nodded eagerly, wanting to get out of this rain. Her fingers were starting to get numb. "Yes!"

With a huff, Bella pulled and silently thanked Mary Alice for being so light as she turned around, dragging the wagon behind her as she went. She made sure not to go too fast; she didn't want to hit a crack or edge and tip the wagon, nor did she want to jostle the girl's hurt knee, but a slightly faster pace because she was starting to shiver uncontrollably. She would look over her shoulder and make sure Mary Alice was doing all right every now and then, smiling reassuringly when she caught a blue gaze.

The fourth and final time she went down the road, all the way back to her house _again_, was definitely the longest. She was tired, she was cold, she was soaking, and her hand was starting to hurt her. Still, Bella closed her eyes tight, visualized her nice, warm house, and soldiered on, making sure to never let her grip slip from the wagon handle. By the time they finally reached her yard, she was exhausted, letting the wagon handle drop on the first step of the porch.

"This is your house?" Mary Alice asked as she looked up at the building. She never knew that this girl lived on her street, before, though she _just_ started walking to school.

Bella nodded, looking up at her home. "Yup!" She turned and helped Alice back out of the wagon, her brows furrowing again as she glanced at the steps of her porch. "Is your knee feeling better? Can you take the stairs?"

Mary Alice took a test step, nodding hesitantly. "I think so, yes."

Just to be careful, Bella wrapped her arm around the tiny girl's waist as they approached the steps. "Hold onto me in case you fall."

The two climbed up the steps of the porch, through the front door, and dripped their way to the washroom in the back of the house. Bella sat Mary Alice down on the toilet seat and told her to wait there for a second while she dashed off into the house. Mary Alice curiously looked around the small room, the mirror, the hair brush on the counter with long, brown hair in it, and smiled to herself. It was nice, even just the washroom.

When Bella returned with a few towels, she peeled her coat off of Alice and replaced it with a fluffy towel, wrapping one around herself and patted it down until she stopped dripping. "There, that's better already." She said with a smile.

"What's your name?" Mary Alice asked, shivering in her own towel. She watched the brunette pull a step-stool over in front of the counter, and open up the mirror.

Bella bit her lip, trying to read the long names of the bottles inside the mirror. She had fallen and tripped and cut herself enough times to know that the wound needed to be clean. Her eyes lit up when she spotted the familiar bottle, and reached on her very tip toes for it. "Isabella Swan," she replied. "But you can call me Bella." She pulled the bottle down with a triumphant noise. "What's yours?"

"Mary Alice Brandon," was the immediate response. "But you can call me Alice," she smiled.

Grabbing the bag of cotton balls, Bella hummed her acknowledgment, kneeling back down in front of Alice. "Okay. This is going to hurt some, Alice. I'm sorry." She said as she tipped the bottle over with the cotton ball on the opening. She set it down, looking up at Alice's bright blue eyes.

The little girl quickly grabbed Bella's free hand. "Okay," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut tight and bracing herself. She hissed at the pain in her knee, jumping slightly, but tried to be still. "Is it over?" She asked after a minute, once Bella had finished.

"Yes," Bella chirped, throwing out the cotton ball and placing everything up on the counter. She grabbed her own make-shift tourniquet and tied it around Alice's knee, wrapping herself up in her towel and sat back against the bathroom wall to wait while they both dried off. She stared at Alice's black locks of hair that were starting to curl at the end, then her little button nose, and up to big blue eyes that were watching her curiously. She blushed and looked away quickly, causing Alice to giggle. "Why were those boys picking on you?"

Alice sobered up, looking down at her feet. She pulled the towel around her tighter, suddenly feeling cold again. "I don't know."

"It's not nice. It's wrong and they should stop," she huffed, glaring at the door to the washroom. Alice was so tiny! How was she supposed to fight them off?

The younger girl shrugged. "Kids always bully me."

"Then I will protect you," Bella replied determinedly. She caught Alice's skeptical look and the sadness in her eyes, a look she had never seen before, and fiercely stuck out her pinky finger. "I promise, Alice."

Blue eyes blinked a few times and Alice studied the face in front of her. Her dark eyes screamed sincerity and Alice found herself opening up a little bit, something in her telling her to take the chance. She curled her own, smaller pinky finger around Bella's, smiling brilliantly as she nodded.

"I trust you."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Biloxi, Mississippi. 1906_

The front door of the Swans' house swung open and closed quickly, the sound of small feet padding down the hallway and another lighter door swinging open as well.

Charlie looked up from his paper in the living room, glancing at his watch and smiled. School was finished for the day. He set the paper down and stood from the couch, stretching his long limbs and meandered down to his daughter's room.

He knocked once before opening the door, seeing his daughter already changed out of her nice school clothes and into trousers, suspenders, and a shirt again. "Afternoon, Bella," he greeted warmly.

She looked up at her dad, smiling brightly. "Hi, daddy."

Charlie watching his daughter put her books and clothes away, scurrying around the room with endless amounts of energy. He chuckled, following her to the kitchen where she grabbed two cookies from the plate on the counter, jumping back down from the chair and headed back to the front door. "Off to see Alice?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yup!" She smiled as she tied up her shoes, careful to balance the cookies on her knee. "We'll be back soon, for supper."

He nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You be sure to ask Mrs. Brandon first this time."

"I will," Bella mumbled, ducking her face.

Charlie grinned, grabbing the newsboy cap from the closet. He placed it on her head, to block the sun, but mostly because he found it adorable to see her in his old hat. "Be sure to have fun too, kiddo."

She brightened up. "We will!"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Biloxi, Mississippi. 1907_

"This is _unacceptable_, young lady."

Renee paced her daughter's bedroom, Bella curled up on her bed, staring at her mother with wide eyes. It wasn't often that she got yelled at, or in trouble for that matter. The woman huffed, running her hands through her hair as she walked back and forth, back and forth. "What makes you think you can just go around _punching_ people, Isabella? We use our words, not violence. You're a _girl_, you don't hit people. I don't understand."

The brunette watched her mother continue to rant on about proper behaviour for little girls such as herself. She nervously played with the blankets on her bed, nodding every now and then when her mother stopped to look at her.

She wasn't a fan of this whole _scolding_ thing.

Not at all.

"Stacey Jones is walking around with a _black eye_ now, Isabella. And people have actually started talking about 'Bella's Right Hook', like it's a-a _thing_. Like it's _your_ thing. Absolutely unacceptable," Renee fumed. She whirled on her daughter, staring at her with hard eyes so she knew this was _big_ trouble. "We don't hit, Bella. Why are you hitting?"

Little shoulders rose and fell. "They're mean to Alice." She said matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like it made sense, made it acceptable.

"Then Alice can talk to her parents, or to me, and I will speak with these children's parents. Alright?" Renee was a little less angry now, knowing Alice was being picked on. It didn't make it _right_, but…maybe it made it less wrong.

"Okay," Bella nodded with a smile.

Her mother sighed in relief. "Okay," she agreed. "No more hitting."

The smile slipped from Bella's face. "Unless they're mean again."

"Bella-"

"I'll stop hurting them if they stop hurting Alice." Bella said firmly.

She looked so serious, so mature in that second, it left Renee speechless. She could do nothing but nod and silently curse Charlie for teaching Bella how to properly punch in the first place.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Biloxi, Mississippi. 1907_

Alice didn't like the night.

She didn't like how it got dark and scary out, didn't like how even the _shadows_ had shadows, or that every little sound turned into a monster clawing at the window or a ghoul whispering in the corner. She didn't like that things which shouldn't move, would move, or her eyes tricking her into believing things she knew couldn't be.

Mostly, she didn't like sleeping, though. Alice was cursed with nightmares every time she drifted from reality and into the realm of dreams, without fail every night. They were so vivid, so real, and such…grown up dreams, that they often seemed _real_ and were hard to argue against.

Men breaking into houses, murder, earthquakes that levelled cities, tornados tearing others apart, just _horrifying_ events that no little child should be forced to witness.

That night was their very first sleepover, the first of _many_ to come. They had played together all day, running around outside, climbing around their tree fort, and then came in for dinner. They ate and laughed, then went to Bella's room to play some more, all until it was time for bed. Everything had been going great, going fine, and both girls were having an awesome time with each other, as usual.

The second Renee mentioned bed, Alice froze up. She smiled on, but dragged her feet while she got ready, managing to get Bella to fool around with her some more, much to the annoyance of her parents. Finally Charlie managed to herd them into the bedroom, tucked them both in, and closed the door behind him as he left.

Alice shuddered as the darkness engulfed the two, pulling the covers up under her chin. She blinked furiously, willing her eyes to adjust until she could see shapes at least, her body stiff as a board.

She really, _really_, hated the dark.

"Bella," she whispered quietly into the silence.

The brunette's voice came back just as low, just as quiet. "Yes?"

"Are you afraid of the dark?" Alice asked, staring out the window she was facing. Anything could come in through there. Anything. It was just one thin little window, it didn't even have a lock. Why wouldn't they build a lock on it? Why wouldn't Charlie get one installed? His daughter slept in here every night, susceptible to _whatever_ could come crawling through there.

_Why?_

Bella turned onto her side, facing Alice's back, and stared at those dark braids. Alice always had really long hair. "It's scary and frightening. I don't like it or the way it changes things." She paused. "But… it's still there, even if I don't like it, so I deal with it. I don't have much of a choice."

The younger girl nodded, gulping at the shadows reaching out from the darkness. "Yeah, I guess so…"

Shortly after that, Bella fell asleep. She slept soundly, dreaming of electric blue eyes and twinkling smiles.

Her bed partner wasn't as lucky, however. Alice was awake for a long while after that, fighting off fatigue so she could watched the window and make sure no one snuck in. She blinked away sleep, and every time she started to drift, she'd shake her head.

It was hard to fight sleep, though.

Eventually, it _always_ wins.

As it had that night.

Whimpers and the sound of someone thrashing around, filled the room. Gasps and quiet crying, not loud enough to wake Charlie and Renee, but loud enough to stir Bella from her sleep.

She groggily blinked her eyes, lifting up onto her elbow to look around. She yawned and reached up, rubbing her tired brown eyes, and looked down at Alice, frowning as she did so. Her little friend's head whipped to the side, her eyes squeezed shut tightly, her fists clenched. Quiet whimpers escaped her lips every few moments, and she turned back onto her side. Her breathing was short and shaky, and Bella could see her pulse beating wildly in her neck.

More than a little alarmed, Bella began shaking Alice. "Hey…Alice…Alice! Wake up…hey!"

"Nuh," Alice gasped, springing up in the bed and almost knocking her forehead against Bella's. Her wide, terrified eyes flickered around the room, her arms flailing out, and Bella had to hug the girl tightly to her so she wouldn't fall right out of the bed. She shushed her, holding her firmly until she calmed down, breathing deeply. "I'm sorry, Bella."

"What's wrong, Alice? Did you have a nightmare?" Bella asked, concern seeping from her voice. Alice nodded weakly. "It…It was just a dream, Alice. Don't worry. I'm here. It's okay."

Alice nodded again, rubbing her eyes and the tears she could feel forming. "I know. I'm sorry."

"You apologize too much, Ali," Bella laughed quietly. "Come on, lay back down." The girl wouldn't budge. "Alice?"

She fiddled with the blanket, looking back up to the window. "I can't sleep again. I…the window, Bella. Someone could come in through it. I see it all the time. People _always_ come in through the window. They wait until everyone is sleeping, so no one sees them, so they're not prepared. They strike them in their sleep, Bella."

The brunette looked to the window, the window that _wouldn't_ open even when Charlie tried, and then back to Alice. She could see the bags under her friend's eyes, how tired she was, and then back to the window. "You need to sleep, Alice. It's not good if you don't."

"I can't-"

"I'll keep watch," Bella cut in. Alice looked over at her curiously. "I'll watch the window and make sure no one comes in through it. If they do, I'll be awake, and I'll scream for Charlie."

Alice watched the older girl crawl over to the side of the bed and hop off, searching for something in the darkness of her room. "But…Bella, you need to sleep, too! You can't watch all night, that's not fair."

She waved Alice's concerns off, slipping out of her bedroom door. Alice barely had time to smother her frightened yelp and was pulling back the blankets to run after her friend, when Bella returned with something long in her hands. "Don't worry, Alice. I'll keep first watch, and then you can get the next one. That way we both can sleep."

The younger girl slowly settled back into the bed apprehensively. It _was_ a good solution, as long as Bella _did_ wake her up. "Okay…you better wake me up though, Bella. I mean it, it's not fair otherwise."

Bella nodded again, already sitting down on the ground beneath Alice's side of the bed, the window on the wall across the room in front of her. "Yeah, yeah. Now relax and sleep, Ali. I have this."

Alice closed her eyes, feeling better this time, and soon drifted off to sleep again.

The brunette sighed deeply, shaking off her sleepiness, and looked back up out the window. She spent the night going over everything she had learned in class the day before, struggling to stay awake as the hours ticked by.

When the sun rose the next day, its light spilled in through the window and bathed the room in its warmth and glow. Alice was nestled in the blankets, her little head and dark hair peeking out the top as she quietly snoozed.

Sitting on the floor, leaning back against the bed beneath her was Bella, still perched there 'on duty'. Her knees were up under her chin, Renee's broom laying across them, clenched in her hands tightly. Her forehead rested against the broom, her chocolate locks cascading down over her shoulders, her eyes closed and breathing deeply as she lightly slept.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Biloxi, Mississippi. 1910_

People across Biloxi were buzzing with excitement the year that the carnival came to town.

Everyone, it seemed, but Bella.

It was exceptionally warm that day, the sun shining high in the sky, peeking out through the grey clouds. The brunette had spent the day turning down various kids -mostly boys- inviting her to go to the carnival with them, or their group of friends, she had _just_ barely passed her math test, and had skinned her knee -ripping her new trousers in the process- at lunch. Bella was hot, injured, impatient, and overall irritable.

The girl was ready to let loose her infamous right hook at the next person who so much as _blinked_ at her.

As the fates would have it, however, the next person she came across did much more than just blink at her. Her tiny friend came skipping down the sidewalk towards her, smile beaming, crystal clear blue eyes full to the brim with more of that excitement and happiness, her dress swinging as she went. Like clockwork, the crease in Bella's forehead smoothed out, a small smile pulling at her own lips while her chocolate eyes softened.

"Bella," Alice sang in her high voice. She reached her friend and wrapped her arms around the grumpy brunette. Alice hadn't missed the scowl before Bella had noticed her, and wondered what had the girl upset. "What happened here?" She asked, pulling back to look down at the tear in her trousers.

Scowling lightly again, Bella crossed her arms over her chest. "I tripped," she muttered.

"On?"

"…My own feet."

"Oh, Bella," Alice laughed, shaking her head as she erupted in a fit of giggles.

She got a deeper scowl in return. "Alice," Bella whined. "Stop laughing at me. It's not nice."

The dark haired girl latched onto one of Bella's suspenders as she rolled her eyes, the two continuing down the sidewalk to Bella's house. "I'm sorry," She wasn't really, but then again, Bella really wasn't upset. "So… you know what's happening this evening, right?"

"If you ask me to go to the carnival, _I'm_ going to trip _you_." Bella's reply was instant as she glanced down beside her suspiciously. The look she got in return had her whipping her head away and squeezing her eyes shut tight. "Don't pout," she gasped, trying to quickly erase it from her mind before her resolve shattered.

"Bella…"

It was too late. Wide, watery, blue eyes were burned on the backs of her eyelids. She furiously shook her head, her eyes still closed.

"Pleeeease?"

The sheer power one little face could have over someone was astonishing, it blew her mind and left her reeling. Renee had been susceptible to it, even Charlie couldn't resist. How on earth was Bella supposed to?

"For me?"

She wasn't, that's how. Bella _always_ gave in, _always_ broke down, and _always_ ended up agreeing with Alice. She had no resolve when it came to the girl's whims, and both of them knew it.

"Fine," she growled, huffing and grumbling the entire way back to her house.

The crowd gasped, they ooh'ed and ah'ed, laughed and cheered, applauding the show of fireworks in the dark sky. Families gathered in the park, sat on their blankets spread out in the grass, leaning back to stare up at the sky.

The Swans were perched underneath one of the grand trees, watching the fireworks off in the distance with fascinated faces. Charlie had wrapped an enormous blanket around himself and Renee, while Bella sat between the two, her head resting on her father's shoulder. Sitting in her lap was Alice, a smaller quilt over their legs, a stuffed animal tucked in her arms as she pointed to all the different colours, adamant on not letting her second-family miss a single explosion of lights.

The stuffed animal had been a prize that the mayor was offering, up on the small stage in the middle of the park. He had held a small little 'History Quiz' of the town's past, and the child who answered the most questions correctly, won the prize.

Renee managed to talk Bella into taking the quiz with the other kids up there, knowing that it was one of Bella's strong subjects. The girl couldn't exactly argue, not after getting a lecture about her math test and studying more.

Immediately after winning, she presented the prize to Alice, knowing how much her friend adored bunnies. This one especially, with matching blue eyes, snow white fur, and a big blue bow tie.

Bella didn't have much use for more toys anyways. She'd rather trade it for the giant smile Alice had given her afterwards.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Biloxi, Mississippi. 1912_

Something had changed over the summer, something was different.

Alice knew things. She noticed things. Things no one else could see, or maybe _would_ see; she had a very open mind to all things, to everything.

There was something different about Bella. She had changed. Alice could see it.

The boys started talking to her more, paying more attention to her. They were less offended every time she told them to bugger off and leave her and Alice alone, they would smile and laugh, and then come find them again later. Like it was a game.

As much as she ignored the boys, she started spending time with the other girls. She wouldn't spend _less_ time with Alice, per say, but when the two would come across others, Bella would grin. She'd grin that smirk, that smile the boys gave her. She'd joke and laugh and tease the other girls in a way Alice hadn't ever seen before. Sometimes the girls would get upset, tell Bella she was being gross, sometimes they'd laugh and giggle. Sometimes they'd blush.

Alice asked Bella about it once.

All she got in return was a strange look, mutterings about how she would know when she was older. Impatient looks and grumbles under the breath, "Wish you were older."

The younger girl spent her nights wishing she were older too, if it meant getting Bella to pay more attention to her than the other girls.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Biloxi, Mississippi. 1913_

"Why are you reading on such a beautiful day like today, Isabella?"

The brunette tuned out her mother's voice, her eyes scanning the words of her page. It was just at the good part, the climax, when everything that had built up to that point exploded, and her mother had to go and rip her out of the world of ink and pages. She didn't know why she was reading then either, with the two most interruptive people in the world. They were lucky she loved them as fiercely as she did...

She sighed, tucking a small piece of ribbon into her pages and set the book down on her lap gingerly. Big brown eyes flickered up, taking in her mother and her best friend dancing in the sprinkler's water raining down in her backyard. A soft smile pulled at her lips, Alice's dark braids bouncing as she danced around and through the water, giggling and sounding like wind chimes. Her bright blue eyes met Bella's and the brunette blushed, quickly looking away.

"You know very well that I burn too easily, mamma," she chided. Hesitantly, she stuck her pale hand out into the sun's light, away from her shadowy haven beneath the large tree she was leaning back against.

Renee shook her head, laughing. "You're a creature right out of one of your own books, child. Afraid of the sunlight."

"I think pale skin suits her," Alice giggled, flicking her second-mother with water droplets.

Hiding her pink face behind her book as two sets of eyes crinkled with mirth, Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Thank you."

Renee plopped down in the shade beside her daughter, taking a moment to rest and catch her breath. "The boys certainly think so, don't they," she commented, looking over at her daughter.

And just like that, Bella was up and in the sun, running away from _anything_ her mother had to say about boys. Her tiny friend laughed at her, playfully nudging her shoulder and flicking more water around.

With a wolfish grin, Bella wrapped her arms around the tiny girl, cackling at the surprised look in those blue eyes. "No, Bella! No," Alice screamed out in a laugh as the brunette held her above the sprinkler, officially _soaking_ both of them.

"Laugh at me, will you?" Bella chuckled, squirming to hold the girl as she tried to get away.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Biloxi, Mississippi. 1914_

"You're lying to me."

Alice guffawed, her snort half amused and half indignant. "Let me get this straight," she began, leaning up on her elbow to look down at her older friend. She hesitated, trapped in those big brown eyes again as the familiar breathless sensation took over again. It had been happening more and more lately, she wasn't sure _what_ it was, but she was…fairly certain that she liked it. "Because _you_ can't see it, that means _I_ am lying, and it isn't real."

"Seeing is believing, Alice," Bella chimed with a wicked grin. Her eyes traced over Alice's soft features, her little smirk that was slowly slipping into a pout, her pale skin that almost made her glow in the moonlight. She pulled her eyes back up to Alice's lighter ones. "And if I can't see it, then I don't believe it."

Sitting up out of the grass, Alice looked away, raising her chin and crossing her arms over her chest. "You mean you don't believe _me_." She said with a huff. "Even though you _know_ that I will never-"

"-never lie to me," Bella finished with her, sitting up as well. "I know, I know, I was joking." She said with a laugh on her lips. She watched as Alice looked at her over her shoulder, raising a brow. She knew that look. She got that look _a lot_. Especially as Alice got older. The look that said 'so you're _trying_ to annoy me'. Granted, she preferred the term 'tease' because that word was just so much friendlier.

The younger girl flicked her hair, sighing to herself. "You need better jokes, Bella."

"You wound me!" Bella gasped, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead in a dramatic fashion, the other clutching her chest.

Alice fought off her smile.

"You're mad at me now?" The brunette asked. She got silence in return. "Me and my bad jokes? Bad joke, you are a very bad joke. You've upset Alice now, how do you feel. Look at this face, what has this pretty face ever done to you? You should be _ashamed_ of yourself, joke. _Ashamed_-"

"Okay! Okay, I forgive you and your joke. Just stop…scolding it." Alice said, eyeing her odd friend with a giggle.

The hopeful, lopsided grin the brunette flashed at her reminded Alice of a puppy, and she cooed, lying back down in the grass and resting her head on Bella's lap. Bella hummed, looking back up at the stars, giving one final shot at spotting the bear Alice insisted she could see. "Are you excited for school tomorrow? Been a while since we've been in the same building."

Alice grabbed one of Bella's hands, playing with it as she avoided eye contact. "I guess."

"You guess? Since when has Alice not been excited about _everything_?"

The girl shrugged, mumbling under her breath.

Bella raised a slightly amused eyebrow, leaning down and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

With a great sigh, Alice finally met her friend's gaze. "I said I'm…I'm scared."

All traces of humour left Bella's face, replaced with concern and seriousness. "Why? What's wrong? Have people been giving you a hard time again?" Her fist unconsciously clenched.

Alice rolled her eyes and scoffed at the protectiveness that always filled her with warmth and affection. She gently opened the fist again, massaging Bella's hand idly. "No, well…no. I'm fine with kids my age, they're used to me. And younger kids, well, they're always intimidated by the older ones, so I don't care about them either. But…but you guys, you're older and I'll be fresh meat."

"…Fresh…meat? _Who_ is telling you this, Alice?" Bella's tone was angry now, angry with whoever scared Alice like this.

The younger girl was quick to calm her friend. "No one, Bella! No one. I swear. _I'm_ just scared, is all. It's happened before; I've been bullied, a lot. You know that. So I'm just scared it'll happen again."

Bella took a deep breath, calming herself down as Alice stared at her lap. She reached out, lifting Alice's chin until their eyes met. "Then I will protect you again," she promised, holding out her pinky finger.

The corner of Alice's mouth curved up into a smirk and she curled her finger around Bella's.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Biloxi, Mississippi. 1915_

"Bella,"

The brunette sighed, perched in her window seat. It was raining again that day, the raindrops pelting against the window, the vibrations in the palm. Everything was so similar to the day she met Alice, right down to the suspenders.

"Bella."

However, this time she wasn't a naive little girl. She was _not _living in a living thing.

"Bella!"

Her house did _not_ need a name.

"Honestly, that girl's head is always in the clouds."

But she probably _would_ be seeing Alice again later.

"If you don't answer me right this minute, young lady…"

A dreamy grin pulled at Bella's lips, her eyes fluttering shut so her mind could fill with electric blue eyes. The rain pelting against the window turned into chiming giggles, the empty space next to her filling with a warmth only Alice ever had. Bella hummed, feeling her heart pounding in her chest, the adrenaline running through her body until she felt dizzy with it.

"Bella!"

Pulled from her thoughts, Bella eagerly turned around with wide, hopeful eyes. "Alice?"

She was met with the irritated glare of her mother. "No, Bella. Not Alice; mom."

"Oh! Sorry, mamma. What can I do for you?" Bella hopped up from her window seat with a wide grin, hands shoved into her pockets.

Renee rolled her eyes. "You could pay more attention to the world and less to Alice, for starters."

The brunette ducked her head, smiling sheepishly. "I'll try, momma."

They both know it wouldn't work, though.

"Have you finished your chores?" Renee asked. Bella nodded. "And your homework?" Again, Bella nodded. "Is Alice staying for dinner tonight?"

"Um," Bella pursed her lips. "Probably?" She said with a shrug. "Is she here?"

Renee nodded, watching her daughter's face light up and smiled softly. "Yes, she's on the tire swing in the front yard."

Bella's brows furrowed as she looked back outside. "In the rain?"

Again, Renee nodded, looking less happy. "I couldn't see very well through the rain, but I think she's upset-"

"What!" Renee didn't have time to blink before her daughter was scrambling over the furniture and to the front door, whipping it open and racing out into the rain. Bella hesitated on the porch, her eyes searching her yard as if it were the first time she'd ever seen it before. It was taking entirely too long to locate the _one_ tree in the front, but when she did, she was across the yard in seconds. Alice was on her feet a moment later, wrapping her sopping wet arms around Bella tightly and burying her face in the taller girl's shoulder as she cried. "What happened?"

The two stood there in the rain getting drenched while Alice cried, Bella holding her tightly and swaying back and forth while she waited patiently for Alice to calm down enough to speak. Finally when Alice began shivering, Bella managed to get them into the house where Renee found towels to wrap around them, standing across the room looking concerned while the two waited for Alice to gather herself.

"I w-wouldn't kiss him," she whispered, wiping her eyes.

Bella ignored the bitterness in her stomach at the mental image that sentence created.

Alice coughed, looking up at them with red, puffy eyes. "We were having a good time, like always. He took me to get a soda drink, we talked and went down to the park." Bella grimaced, furiously trying to shake the thoughts of Alice and John holding hands and walking through the park. "It was fun; we laughed, he told me jokes and pushed me on the swing. Everything was great until we parted ways."

Everything was great. _Everything._ _Great._ He was _great_. The brunette clenched her jaw, focusing back on Alice.

"He leaned in and I leaned back away." She said, sniffling. "I a-apologized when I saw how hurt he looked, but it didn't feel right. I told him. I d-didn't want to kiss him. It just wasn't…right." Blue eyes quickly flickered up to Bella and away again, unnoticed. "He got mad when I kept saying no and refused to kiss him. He threw his empty soda bottle at the slide and it smashed. I got scared and yelled at him, told him to go home."

Bella leaned forward, her eyes scanning over every inch of Alice she could see, looking for cuts or bruises.

The younger girl rolled her eyes at the obvious look. "He didn't hurt me, Bella. Not physically. He just yelled, really loud, started calling me names, saying I was his only chance at a family, a future, and I just ruined it. No one would ever be w-with a freak like me, and that he didn't ever want to see me again."

Renee sighed, sitting down on the couch on Alice's other side. "Oh, honey. I'm sorry. Boys can be mean sometimes, but I'm sure he didn't mean it. He was just hurt. His pride was damaged so he lashed out."

"You're defending him?" Bella asked, incredulous.

Her mother quickly shook her head. "No, of course not, but I'm just saying that boys require more patience and you should go talk to him-"

"I will," Bella growled, getting to her feet.

Renee's eyes narrowed. "Now, Bella, this isn't any-"

"Keep her company till I get back." Bella leaned down and wrapped her towel around Alice, smiling cheekily. "I'll be back soon, Ali."

The younger girl levelled a look at her friend, shaking her head. "Bella, you can't keep fighting all my battles for me."

The brunette raised her hands up as she backed away to the front door. "I'm not! I don't! Just this one! Bye-bye!"

Renee and Alice sat in the silent aftermath of what had just transpired, staring at the front door. The woman sighed, leaning back into the couch and Alice followed her action. "You know, if you sat down and really asked Bella to stop fighting, she would," the woman half grumbled.

"I know," Alice chimed with a small smile. Renee raised an eyebrow, looking at the younger girl curiously. "It makes me feel good, though. Not the other kids being in pain or anything!" Her eyes were so wide as she quickly explained. "But she's like the chivalrous knight from the books you used to read to us. None of the boys around here will fight for anyone's honour, but Bella does for me. It's nice."

The older woman contemplated Alice's words as she studied the little girl sitting beside her. After a moment, a soft, warm smile pulled at her lips, and she tugged the soaking, shivering thing closer to her. "She gets it from Charlie."

Bella raced back down her porch and to the sidewalk at the end of her yard, veering to the right. John only lived three houses down from her, but it was enough time to officially soak her to the bones again. She was positively dripped as she knocked on his door, placing a big, friendly smile on her face.

Mrs. Armstrong opened the door, greeting her with a curious smile. "Oh, Bella! How lovely to see you, dear. My, but it _is_ pouring out there, isn't it? How can I help you?"

Bella smiled wider, hearing heavy footsteps walking down a hall and closer towards them. "I'm here to see John, ma'am."

Mrs. Armstrong turned towards the hallway just as John stepped around the corner. "Johnny, look who's here to see you."

The boy looked up curiously, his face blank as he met Bella's eyes. He tilted his head to the side, movement catching his eye, and he looked down to see the girl's right hand clench into a fist. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks and a horrified look took purchase on his face. "Mom! No! Don't let her in!"

The brunette jerked forwards and into the house, hot on John's heels as he raced back down the hallway. Mrs. Armstrong was utterly confused and slightly worried as she heard a high pitched scream come from her son's room, somehow knowing it wasn't from Bella.

There were snickers and whispers all around the school the next day.

Uncharacteristically timid, John approached Alice and Bella at lunch, his face ducked and hidden in the shadow cast from his hat. He apologized to Alice, saying how wrong it was for him to have raised his voice at her and to have said such rude and untrue things.

Before he turned to leave, he pulled off his hat to run a hand through his sweaty hair, and everyone got a good look at the big black shiner he had. Bella watched him go, massaging her throbbing knuckles on her right hand.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Volterra, Italy. 1916_

"I'm going to return as a giant lobster, mamma," Bella complained as the two walked through the incredibly sunny city. She glanced down at her pale skin that was slowly turning pink, and huffed, trudging along behind her mother who was nearly skipping down the street, looking and this and that and gushing about _everything_ as they went.

Renee waved off her daughter's grumpiness. "You're not going to burn that bad, Isabella. Would you at least _try_ to have fun? This is the last trip we get to have together. You're going to be moving out and getting married and starting a family of your own soon."

The pale teenager grumbled to herself, crossing her arms over her chest and trotted to catch up to her mother. All the women on the streets in their fancy red dresses and big hats, and painted up faces were giving her odd looks, like they had never seen a female in trousers before. "I wouldn't worry too much on that, momma," Bella muttered under her breath. "I wonder what Alice is up to right now? Should I go find something for her? Would she want a fancy dress? Or something else? Jewellery?"

"Honey," Renee laughed, turning to shake her head at her daughter. She grabbed a pale hand and began pulling the younger girl along to a group of people crowding around a tour line. "I know you love Alice, but if you don't get her off your mind then you're not going to enjoy this trip. You're not going to _see_ half of the beautiful things in this city. Like the people - look at that woman!"

Apparently her mother was right about not seeing things, because all she could see was her front yard before they left for the trip, letting her mother pull her along with the group of people touring some sort of castle.

_"Where's my hat trunk? Charlie? Charlie! Have you seen my hat trunk?"_

_Bella's father sighed deeply, rolling his eyes as he stepped back from the car parked in front of the house. "I just finished packing it, dear," he hollered back, winking at the two girls sitting in the front yard. "Ya all packed, Bells?"_

_"Yes, sir." The brunette nodded, looking to her _one_ bag she and Alice were sitting on. _

_Her father grunted, heading back inside to help his wife finish getting ready, leaving the two girls to themselves. Bella looked up at the greyish sky, letting the silence fill her up. Alice was unusually quiet. Long, pale fingers began to idly tap out a tune on a trouser clad knee, and Bella finally grunted herself, looking over to Alice with a smile. "I'm gonna miss you."_

_"I have a bad feeling about this, Bella." Alice's voice was slightly panicked, repressed, as she quickly shot the words off at her friend. She watched confusion enter those big brown eyes and reached out to take Bella's hand. "I…I just have this _horrible_ feeling, I don't know why, but it won't go away. I don't think this is a good idea, Bella. Please stay."_

_The brunette paused, staring intently at her smaller friend and the clear fright in her eyes. She slowly shook her head, her face full of regret. "I would, Alice, you know I would. But I promised my mom." Everyone knew the girl was as good as her word; she never said something she didn't mean and she never promised something she couldn't keep. "We'll be careful though. We won't split up, won't go out after dark, if that makes you feel better." She said hopefully._

_Alice's gut churned. This was bad. This was very, very bad. Something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Something bad is going to happen. I'm scared, Bella." She whispered, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the taller girl's shoulder._

_Frowning, Bella looked up to the car, to her house, and then back to Alice. "I'll be okay, Alice." She shifted, lifting her hand and extending her pinky finger. "Hey, look….remember?"_

_The younger girl blinked away the sting of tears, slowly nodding. She curled her finger around Bella's, looking up into her warm face. "You come back to me."_

_"Always," Bella promised._

_She couldn't help it. It was reflex. Subconscious. Her eyes flickered down to Alice's lips, her tongue peeking out to wet her own trembling ones nervously. And was it just her, or was Alice suddenly a lot closer? Were those electric blue eyes suddenly darker? Her eyes fluttered closed, feeling the shorter girl's breath fan out across her lips, right before soft petals brushed against hers-_

_"Is this the last bag, Renee? You're not going to be able to fit in the car after this!" Charlie came stalking out of the house, holding yet another bag in his arms._

_The girls jerked backwards with wide eyes, looking up at the grumbling man loading the car up. With flushed cheeks, Bella got to her feet, holding out her hand for Alice. "I suppose I should get my bag in there too before there's no room for me either."_

"This, ladies and gentlemen, is the throne room where the Volturi leaders ruled over their peons."

Bella was yanked from her memory, looking around in surprise. They were in a large room made of stone and marble, looking utterly old and utterly beautiful. Past her group of tourists, she could see Four thrones on a raised platform, as the woman implied, and was shocked to see people actually sitting in them.

Incredibly beautiful people.

_Impossibly_ beautiful.

Inhumanly beautiful.

Her gut twisted, Alice's worries ringing in her ears. With her heart in her throat, Bella spun around to face her mother who was simply fascinated by everything. "Momma, we gotta go." She said quietly.

Even so, she could see men in brown cloaks standing by the door turn to look at them. She caught a flash of red underneath one of their hoods and her heart hammered harder.

"Right now, momma. We need to _leave_." She said, grabbing her mother's hand and began walking back to the doors she was sure they came through.

The enormous wooden doors swung closed with an echoing bang, freezing her and Renee to the spot. One of the men in the cloaks stood in front of the doors, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Stay with the group." His voice was smooth, like velvet, flawless.

Bella saw her mother's shoulders relax, such a beautiful voice lulling her into a false sense of safety.

"We have to use the washroom," Bella insisted.

A flash of blonde blurred in front of the two women, earning gasps from multiple people in the room. The tour guide tilted her head to the side, smirking. "Do you? But we were just about to have lunch, it would be rude to leave in such a hurry."

Before either of them could blink, the blonde woman was on Bella, tackling her to the marble floor. The brunette's head smacked against the ground, pain shattering through her mind in white noise.

"Noooo!"

Alice jerked forward in her bed, screaming at the top of her lungs, with red, bloodshot eyes. "No! No, no, no, no! No," Her voice was animalistic, like a wolf howling in pain as she screamed and screamed and screamed, waking the entire street.

Her mother and her sister, Cynthia, desperately tried to calm her down while her father apologized to anyone who came over and phoned Chief Swan. All through the night, the gut-wrenching, heart-piercing screaming never ceased as Alice sobbed into her blankets.

When the sun rose and the screaming still didn't stop, Mr. Brandon had the men with the white coats come down to the house. They gave Alice a needle that eventually put her to sleep, and the conniving man's head filled with plans and ideas. Mr. Brandon took his daughter down to the Hospital of Higher Living and told the doctors about his daughter's alleged 'visions of the future', insisting that his 'princess' needed help desperately.

There was very little Charlie Swan could do to help, no matter how hard he tried, especially when the girl wailed and screamed like a dying animal every time she woke up. He prayed for a miracle, but all he could do was sit and wait until his wife and daughter returned home, knowing Bella could help.

Bella _always _helped Alice.

Brown eyes blearily opened, staring up at fuzzy designs painted on the marble ceiling. She could hear screaming, faint screaming, somewhere in the background of her mind, and she could _swear_ she felt pain somewhere back there too.

She mostly felt heavy, though. Like her arms and legs and head were being weighted down with bricks, and she could hardly move. There was a fogginess in her mind that was slowly growing and growing, thickening until she could hardly think at all.

It was kind of nice.

_"Then I will protect you. I promise, Alice."_

She stirred again, not realizing her eyes had closed. Even the lids felt heavy. Things were so much quieter now, too. She felt like she was in a library or something.

_"I trust you."_

Not a library. It was too heavy for that.

Maybe she was under water. That's what it felt like.

Like she was drowning.

_"Belllllllaaaaaaa. Pleeeeease? For me?"_

Drowning in numbness. What a way to go. So peaceful. So nice. So enticing.

But…go? Go where? Where was she going? Why was her neck so sore?

Her head lolled to the side, her eyes fluttering shut again.

_"I think pale skin suits her."_

It was becoming more and more of a challenge every time she opened her eyes, but she knew she had to.

She wasn't supposed to go anywhere. Not yet.

Her eyes met a pair of blue ones, though not the pair she was thinking of. Not the ones she could see in her head. These were her mother's, staring, unseeing, back at her.

Why was that man hunched over her? What was he doing to her neck?

_"Something bad is going to happen. I'm scared, Bella."_

With more force, more power this time, her brown eyes shot back open.

The fog in her head was starting to clear, those electric blue eyes chasing it away.

_Alice's_ blue eyes.

_"Hey, look…remember?"_

No. No, this was wrong. She needed to get back. Alice needed her. She needed to go back to Alice. She promised.

Her hands weakly grabbed the blonde hair, trying to pull the woman away from her neck, but it was no use. Like tugging on a statue.

_"You come back to me."_

Adrenaline, anger, hope, panic, whatever it was, it filled her stomach, white hot until she was burning with it. _Burning_.

She let out a whimper as the sensation built up until it felt like an ice pick in her head and she almost passed out from the pain.

_"Always."_

The blonde vampire let out a surprised yelp as she sailed back across the room and into the stone wall, falling to the floor as stone debris rained down on her. She shook the momentary dizziness from her head, looking up in astonishment.

Bella forced her limbs to move, forced herself to her unsteady feet and stood up. Bodies littered the floor of the entire room, all those people in the cloaks hunched over them. Like the man over her mother.

They all looked up at Bella with matching red eyes, vibrant, glowing.

The girl stumbled forward, catching herself as she shook her head, reaching up to hold her neck. "You…"

She almost toppled backwards, a wave of fire and blackness engulfing her. Everything she had was gone in the next second, the feeling in her legs, the clarity in her mind, everything replaced with fire. Burning again.

"Can't keep me from her," the words dribbled from her lips moments before she fell face first back into the marble floor.

...

_"You come back to me."_

_"Always."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

**Hello dear readers!**

**So, yes, this is the beginning of another story. The prologue, of sorts, but not really because it's really long and I don't think you can classify something this long as a "prologue" - over twenty thousand words, guys! So I took it and cut it up into two different chapters, the next one you're about to read. But basically this is just the set-things-up chapters. Because the real story hasn't even begun yet.**

**And it shan't begin yet, either. Not for a while, at least. I've got others to finish and a collab with another author to start soon, so the rest of this story will be on the back burner for a while. I'll work on it here and there, though, and hopefully have a number of chapters to post right after one another once I start.**

**Aaaanyways, here in this chapter we get to see the relationship between Alice and Bella. I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with how I've depicted Alice. I don't know if she seems…weaker in this than she usually is in stories. Although we must take into account that she's human here, plus she's a scared little girl who has to deal with visions of horrifying things at night, and the bullying that follows her since as long as she can remember. That tends to create meeker people, no?**

**For those of you who don't like that, you won't have to worry too much. We get to see bright, cheerful, confident and strong little Alice as a vampire in the rest of the story once she loses her memories of all that formed her into the frightened thing she is here. **

**This chapter was more about showing absolute, unwavering faith and trust Alice has in Bella, and the everlasting loyalty and devotion to Alice.**

**And if you guys like these splices of the two growing up together, let me know because there WILL be more of them throughout the story. Let me know if you DONT like it, too, and I'll try to cut back some of them.**

**Review this chapter before you read the next, because it's long and you'll forget what you wanted to say about this one! **

**-Paige**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything familiar you read here.**

**Rated: T.**

**Author: Paige Turner.**

**Pairing: Alice/Bella.**

**Summary: AU. A/B. I took her pain and the darkness that threatened to taint her, replacing it with all my happiness and my light. I became the monster so she wouldn't have to.**

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Volterra, Italy. 1916_

When Bella woke up, she knew something was off, that something had changed.

There was this feeling deep in her gut, she didn't know _what_ it was, but it was telling her that she missed something. Was _missing_ something, and it was too late, she couldn't get it back. She had only ever had the feeling once before, when she had gotten a particularly bad flu one year, and slept an entire day away. She didn't like that feeling, like something had been _stolen_ from her. _Time_ had been stolen.

She tried to focus on something else, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. Not right then. Instead, she flexed her fingers and was surprised at the cold, rough matter beneath them. It was…it was… she knocked against it with her knuckles, her brows furrowed. It was…

Stone?

It was then that she realized, with a start, that she wasn't breathing. Hadn't been breathing, at least since she woke up. And yet the burn in her lungs never came, not even a little tingle as she lay there, staring at the backs of her eyelids, sliding her fingertips against the stone.

Maybe she was still asleep? This was a dream of some kind?

She risked a small whiff in through her nose, her face screwing up in surprise at the scents assaulting her. Stale air, dirt and moisture - earth, oak wood, paint, those were all the ones she could name, she could recognize. There were others, individual ones that were all so different from one another, with just a hint of a similar underline. All of them, the ones she knew, the ones she didn't, were nearly drown out by one powerful scent.

It was sweet, thick, mouth-wateringly delicious and alluring, calling out to her and igniting a burn in her throat. She grimaced, swallowing heavily against the seductive scent and tried to clear it from her mind, ceasing her breathing altogether again.

This was a _very_ strange dream.

Curious, she opened her eyes, deep crimson irises peeking out under thick black lashes as she blinked a few times in surprise again. Everything was _incredibly_ detailed in this dream, even her vision. She could see the rough texture of the stone walls, every little dip and groove, the brushstrokes in the portrait hanging on the wall of a very familiar man, all of this in the pitch blackness of the room. The darkness didn't affect her vision whatsoever; it was mind boggling!

Slowly, Bella sat up and gathered her bearings, her new eyes flickering down to watch thick auburn locks falling down over her shoulders in waves. Her hair had so much red in it now! She could only ever see it in the sun, the dark undertone much more overbearing. She reached her pale hands up to touch her hair, noticing the flawlessness of her skink. All the scars from falling over the years were gone, replaced with a porcelain like smoothness.

She felt like one of those expensive dolls little girls had in their rooms.

A castle.

That's what this place was; the stone walls, marble floors and ceilings, the enormous wooden doors. It was how every castle in her books were always described, and this room was some kind of…storage? That didn't make sense, castles didn't have storage rooms, but this one was utterly…empty. There were no windows, just four stone walls, a portrait, and the wooden door across the room, with a single stone platform or bed in the centre of the room.

Bella got to her feet, the motion much quicker and more graceful that usual. Before she knew it, she was at the door, cracking it open and looking out into the stone hallway on the other side. Her eyes widened, locking with another pair of ruby red ones, and she gasped as a large pale hand reached in through the crack, gripping the front of her shirt and yanking her out of the room. She was tossed to the other side of the hallway, catching herself on the wall and glared over her shoulder at the burly blonde man staring at her.

The rumbling growl in her chest shocked her out of swinging at the guy, instead letting her be pushed and ushered down the hallway. Again, she was surprised that she didn't trip over her feet. She continued to glare at the large man under the brown cloak down the entire hallway, following him back into a familiar room with three thrones sitting in the middle.

She tilted her head in confusion as the sense of familiarity washed over her. "I've been here-"

"Of course you have, my dear." A positively cheerful looking man walked around the middle throne, sitting down on it and was soon joined by two other men, one with dark hair, the other with blonde, and a woman with unusual hair; long and black, with red, blue, and purple in it. Her dark red eyes observed Bella intensely, her exotic features a hard mask giving nothing away. "Just a few days ago, but I know how little details like this slip the mind. So much information to take in those first few hours, so overwhelming. It will all come back to you, piece by piece, like a dream."

Bella raised a brow, looking around herself like she stepped into the Twilight Zone. "Eh?" She shook her head, her bell-like voice rough with irritation. "Wait, what? This…this isn't a dream." She asked, though it came out more like a statement at the end given the looks she received. Her eyes traveled back down to her hands as she raised them palm up. "But I…I wasn't breathing."

"That's because you're dead." The blonde man said, watching on with curiosity.

The brunette staggered backwards, her eyes widening. "I-I beg your pardon?"

"Heidi was feeding on you," the third man on the his throne murmured. Even across the room, Bella could hear him as if he were right next to her. "Until you threw her off with your gift, saving your life."

"One of them," the woman one murmured under her breath.

Bella shook her head furiously again, that rumbling in her chest returning. "I don't understand! How am I dead but alive? This doesn't make any sense. I don't believe you."

"You're an immortal, child." The first man said. "A vampire! Rejoice in your new eternal life!"

A slightly hysterical laugh bubbled up Bella's throat until she squished it back down, disbelief clear as day in her eyes. "I don't believe you. Vampires aren't real. They can't be."

"Felix," the woman said, waving at another cloaked figure across the room. The large man nodded, reaching up and grabbed a large, shiny blade from the set on the wall. With a flick of his wrist, it was soaring, cutting through the air, and heading straight for Bella at a speed that was impossibly fast. And yet, she reached up in one fluid motion and plucked it right out of the air before it could hit her, clenched in her fist at her side. Shocked, she let it fall to the marble floor with a clang, grooves and indents where she was gripping the blade. "As you can see, _we_ are very real. There is much you need to learn, child."

"H-How?" Bella asked, looking up from the blade to the four.

The cheerful man stood up and was by her side within the blink of an eye, making her jump. "All of it, I will explain all of it to you, and in return you can show me that lovely gift again. But first, introductions are in order; my name is Aro and these are my brothers, Marcus and Caius, and my sister, Aurora." The first man, Aro, and the woman, Aurora had similarities though the man's exotic features were watered down and subtle. The blonde man, Aro, and the bored looking one, Marcus, looked nothing like each other or the other two, however. She doubted they were related by blood like the other two.

She hesitated, staring at the man for a moment. "I'm Isabella. Isabella Swan," she stuck out her hand, watching the man grip it.

His red eyes widened in surprise, a smile curling his lips up. "A powerful gift, indeed. That is an American accent you have, yes?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I'm from Mississippi-" she gasped, memories resurfacing in the next instant. Including a pair of electric blue eyes. "Alice! I need to go! I promised." She turned for those large doors again, staring at the man in the cloak standing before them, and another memory returned to her. A more recent one. Her last one. "…Momma… you…you attacked us all…you…"

Empty blue eyes stared up at her from the ground, her mother's lifeless image burned into her mind forevermore. Her chest clenched in agony, pain and rage exploding in her stomach, building and growing, consuming her like wildfire until it erupted in an animalistic snarl. Her fist shot out like a bullet, landing square between Aro's eyes, and she watched as cracks sprouted in his flawless pale skin, spreading like spiderwebs across his face, all before he launched back into the air. He landed on the floor a few yards away, sliding further back and into the wall.

A dark form blurred at her from the doors, feral roars filling the room as she ducked and let him roll down her back. She snarled, racing off at incredible speeds for Aro, above him in an instant and raising her fist again. A truck hit her from behind though, or so it felt like as she was shoved into the wall roughly and pinned against it, someone else's snarl in her ear. She snapped her jaws, struggling against the stone and trying to reach behind her, thrashing around. She gripped the back of the person's head and yanked forwards, smashing their forehead against the wall and let them fall to the ground, momentarily stunned.

The second she turned around, there were two more vampires in cloaks slamming into her, trying to pin her to the wall again. She growled, bringing her elbow down on one of their backs as hard as she could, knocking them to the floor with the other. She swung her weight around, tossing the third, a woman, into the wall beside her. Again, she grabbed a shoulder and a fistful of hair, pulling forwards only to smash the woman's head back into the wall.

It was proving to be an excellent tactic thus far.

Aro was up on his feet and Bella was lunging for him when all of the sudden she was upside down and flying through the air. Aro, without barely moving, hurled her back across the room and into the wall, much harder and faster than she thought possible. The stone crumbled around her and she gasped as she went right through the wall, landing in an entirely new room, sliding across the floor with the momentum.

Four more vampires poured in through the dusty hole, grabbing her and holding her steady, kneeling on the floor. Every time she pulled and moved, trying to get out of their grip, one would yank her arms far behind her back until her shoulders screamed in pain, like they would pop. Finally she settled down, giving up her struggle and knowing she wouldn't get out.

They picked her up, dragging her back through the hole and into the throne room. Aro was sat in his throne, in-between his brothers and beside his sister, and Bella was shoved back down to her knees in front of them. Aro smiled cheerfully, like nothing had happened, the only proof of a scuffle was the debris on his shoulder. He ran a hand through his long, dark hair, his voice gentle. "That wasn't very polite, Isabella."

"You killed her," Bella snarled, snapping her jaws again.

A hand gripped the back of her hair, yanking down until her neck strained and she glared up at the ceiling, hissing in pain. Aro continued in a soothing voice, "If we had known then what we know now, we wouldn't have touched her, Isabella. I cannot apologize enough for what we have done to you, and I don't ask you to forgive us, but understand us. We need blood, as you will soon find out. After we saw the display of such a gift as yours, we tried to stop Alexander but blood is irresistible. He couldn't stop."

"I don't care; that was my_ mother_!" She jerked forward as the rage in her stomach intensified, her right arm freeing itself and throwing one of the men off of her. He was quickly replaced by a woman who twisted Bella's arm around behind her back, pulling up until Bella stopped her struggling again.

Aro snapped his fingers and a new vampire blurred up behind his throne, holding a vial in her hand. She gave it to Aro, bowing her head before blurring back off, and he lifted it up in front of his face, watching the liquid inside. "Perhaps to truly understand, you need to experience thirst and bloodlust firsthand." He popped the lid off the top, the red in his eyes darkening slightly.

The air filled with that same overpowering scent from before; thick, sweet, and calling to something deep within her on a very primal level. It was intoxicating, filling her mind and her lungs, igniting a vicious fire in her throat until everything but it was gone. A single crimson drop dripped from the vial as Aro tipped it, falling through the air and landing on the marble floor at his feet.

She didn't even know she was moving until she was soaring through the air and landing at his feet as well. An amused smirk twitched at Aro's lips, his hand moving back and forth to waft the scent of the blood through the air. A low rumble came from the girl at his feet, a familiar rumble. A growl that said, meant, _was_ hunger.

Hunger.

Something this newborn would become all too familiar with as the years ticked by.

He didn't so much as flinch at her onyx glare when her face whipped up, eyes zeroing in on the vial in his hand. He let it slip from his fingers, landing in her own hand, and watched as she all but smashed the glass vial against her mouth. When not another drop would pour out of it, she crushed the glass in her hand, smearing what was coating the bottle on her hand to lick up, crazed. Aro chuckled, leaning back in his throne and looking at his sister. "As you now know, once you start, you cannot stop, dear child."

With the blood gone, the thick haze in Bella's mind was slowly clearing, Aro's words sinking in. She sat there on the floor, glaring down at the glass in her hands, knowing there was nothing she could do. Her body, her instincts, were _screaming_ at her to take revenge for her mother's death, to kill this man who so casually allowed it, but she couldn't. Her mind knew that there was no chance she could take him, she couldn't even touch him with the amount of guards he had around.

She couldn't do _anything_.

"I stopped her," the words were muttered in a bitter voice. "Somehow…I… I threw her off of me. I stopped her…"

_"I trust you."_

"…For Alice. _Alice,_" she gasped, her eyes widening again. "Alice. I have to get back to Alice. My dad. I have to go back for them, I-I need Alice." Bella was back up on her feet, spinning around for the doors. She blurred over to them, ripping one of them open.

"You're a vampire now!" Aro called, getting to his feet. He was _not_ letting a gift like this just walk away from him so soon.

Bella shook her head, looking down the hallway. This place was a friggin' maze; she had no idea where she was going. "She won't care."

The girl shrugged, picking a direction and was about to take off before Aro decided to _force_ her to stay with more of his guards. Aurora's words, however, had her freezing in place. Had her considering things, thinking back to the blood and the haze in her mind. Had her agreeing with the woman, reluctantly. "You will hurt her, child." She turned back around with a guarded look. "You cannot control yourself, you need to learn how. That is something we can teach you."

Aro looked from his sister to the girl. "But it will take time." Time enough for him to persuade her to join them.

"How much time?" A few weeks? She could last a few weeks without Alice…right?

Aro looked over to Marcus whose brows furrowed as he studied the girl. "A while," his tone was low, deep, and slightly bored. "After a taste, you are not on a blood rampage like most newborns, it leads me to believe you already have better control than most." He considered her for a moment before deciding. "Five years."

"Five years!" Bella exploded, reeling back like he slapped her. "That's too long! That's-that's…no, too long!"

"Perhaps less, depending on how well you can learn to control your thirst," he amended.

The woman sized Bella up with her eyes as well, taking in the details of her new immortal body. What power hid beneath the alabaster surface. "I can teach you the rest in that time."

Caius, the last Volturi sibling, just scowled on his throne. He didn't like the how much time and effort the others were already putting into the girl. Why hadn't Aro just used Chelsea and forced the girl into the guard already? Why was Marcus teaching her control over her thirst and not Heidi? And what did Aurora want with her? The woman never so much as grunted at the others unless it was an order.

Who was this girl to them?

Bella held her face in her hands, her mind racing. She had…died, but was still alive. A vampire. She couldn't return home until she knew she wasn't going to slaughter all of Biloxi. She had to stay with these…people in the meantime, and who knew what plans Aro had up his sleeve. And her mother- "My mother. She…Charlie needs to know she isn't coming home. That _I'm_ not coming home. He will come look for us; he's Chief of police."

"He will be notified of an accident, a freak fire in the room you were staying in. Neither of you survived." Aro said, nodding to one of the cloaked figures who disappeared out the open door and down the hall.

She leaned back against the stone wall, sliding down to the floor and holding her head in her hands still. "Dead. He'll think I'm dead."

"You _are_ dead. Dead to the world. You can never contact him, or let any other humans know of our existence. This is the law," Caius warned with a glare. "We will allow you to return, to check up on your family, but that is it. You must move on after that."

"But-"

"There is no exception to this law," Marcus declared, standing up with his brothers and sister.

"Not unless you're prepared to kill them afterwards." Aro said.

That was the first time, the first day, of many when she learned that vampires couldn't physically cry, either. That her tears would never fall.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Volterra, Italy. 1919_

_"Magnifico,_" Marcus grinned, watching the two vampires in front of him.

A tall, slight man stood in front of him, black eyes glaring fiercely, full of hunger. His fists were clenched, his entire frame shaking as he focused on restraining himself, low growling rumbling from his chest consistently. He was barely keeping himself together, his inner beast ripping apart the cage he attempted to lock it in. A snarl broke from him, his lips curling up as he jerked forwards a step, but he caught himself. He locked his legs, one hand shooting up to grab his red hair. Perhaps pain could distract him; if he pulled hard enough maybe he could control himself.

A woman stood next to him. Her own onyx eyes blinked a few times, a little more often than regular. Her hands were on her hips, her fingers tapping out a tune that only she could hear, a small mantra she had developed. She wasn't sure if it actually helped, but she felt like she could shove all of her hunger into the beats, keeping them on a loop and trapping it there, so that it couldn't wreak havoc in her head. Her face was smoothed out into a practiced mask of stone, the only teaching of Aurora's that had stuck so far.

Marcus tipped the vial even more, letting the thick, crimson liquid poor out onto the stone floor.

With a savage snarl, the man shot forwards, cupping his hands to catch it and bring it to his mouth.

The older vampire clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disappointment. "Alexander, you bring yourself shame. Twenty five years of experience, and after only three years, Isabella can outlast you."

He hissed up at the Volturi brother, a sneer on his lips. "She can outlast _everyone_."

Marcus seemed to consider this, tilting his head to the side as he glided over to the woman. He looked down at her fingers, the odd tapping that she always did, and back up at her curiously. "Perhaps you're right. This might not be about _your_ shortcomings, but _her_ skill. You've come farther in a shorter amount of time than I had anticipated." This young girl was turning out to be an ideal Elite, though she had one small, inconvenient flaw. She wouldn't drink from humans.

They'd had to actually _purchase_ blood from donors and banks and hospitals for the girl while she stayed. Isabella absolutely _refused_ to drink from the humans Heidi brought back, and he had a sneaking suspicion it was because she saw her mother every time she stepped into the throne room.

"Thank you," she replied, her voice deeper, more rough with her hunger. "I can't take all the credit though, Marcus. You really _are_ an excellent teacher. I appreciate what you've done for me; I don't know how I will ever repay you." She said sincerely. The Volturi, she learned over the years, were definitely _not_ nice people. Actually, it was quite a monstrous group of people and the only thing that kept Bella around them was her fear of hurting humans. Marcus, however, wasn't as bad as his brothers and sister.

Caius was a dark, menacing man and didn't bother trying to hide it. He'd tear out your throat as often as he'd smile at you, thankfully he did not smile a lot. He didn't like Bella, that much was made abundantly clear within the first few days Bella had been at the castle. Luckily she didn't have to have much confrontation with the man; the Volturi royalty only ever had actual face time with their Elite and that was only ever for protection or to give orders that would be sent out through the branches of the rest of the Volturi. It took Bella almost a year to realize just how big the…_organization _was, that it reached across the seas and was integrated into the human society. Caius was the head to the "Muscle" of the Volturi. The combatants, a powerful chain that enforced the Volturi's Law and eliminated its enemies.

Aro was just as twisted, though he made an art out of hiding it from other people. It made him even _more_ dangerous, his ability to manipulate people, make them trust him. He had the most interaction with their peons, as they called them, and was "The Face" of the Volturi. He was the head of the Political aspects of the Volturi; spoke for the other three during "trials" that punishable covens or nomads were put on, and was the boss of the branch that was slowly but surely integrating into the human society. Like all politicians, he was a tricky man, and the fact that he could get into your head made him deadly to deal with.

Marcus wasn't exactly a _good_ guy either. Though he didn't manipulate people or rip out their throats, he didn't do anything to _help_ the situation. He couldn't care less how monstrous his brothers were, and he couldn't care less about their sick games. He was more interested in his own devices and his own branch of the Volturi. What Marcus, and his people, did best was watch others. He listened to the idle chatter that happened throughout the castle and throughout the Volturi ranks, hearing things about this coven or that. He kept track of rumours and gathered information on anything. On everything. It was he and his branch that were responsible for quelling the uprising of the werewolves; finding their weakness to silver and wolfsbane. And it was he who turned their bones into the finest blades ever to grace the land, ones only ever held in the hands of the Elite.

Aurora had to be the worst, out of them all. Or the best. Bella just couldn't tell with the woman. She had taken Bella under her wing, something she'd never done before, much to the displeasure and jealousy of Jane, and had focused most of her attention on the brunette. She taught the girl things she'd never known, things she was sure _no one_ ever knew before; some of them amazingly beautiful, some of them horrifyingly frightening and dark. The Queen had her fingers in just about everything, the Muscle, the Face, and the Mind of the Volturi. There wasn't anything that happened she wasn't aware of. Her mind was brilliant, complex, and the most dangerous thing about her because you never truly knew where it was at. Bella wasn't sure if the woman was incredibly kind or incredibly evil, either, never knowing which side of the fence she fell on. The first week she was there, Aurora had taken her from the castle and to the local cemetery where she had a beautiful mausoleum built and set up for her mother, Renee. She had been quiet and waited by the gate for Bella to mourn and have her time, but Bella hadn't missed the…satisfied and pleased look in those red eyes at her pain.

She tensed as another presence entered the room, her nostrils flaring against Aro's scent. She suppressed her irritated growl and turned to look at him. "Five more years with us. That would make your appreciation abundantly clear, Isabella." His smile was wide, his tone friendly, but she could hear the impatience beneath it. He'd asked her three times, once each year, and every time she said no, he got less and less pleased with her.

Her lips pulled up into a hesitant smile as she tried to stay polite. "Sometimes I think you'd lock me up in one of the towers if you thought it'd hold me here."

"Of course not, my dear." The thought _had_ occurred to him. "You're free to leave as you wish once you have your thirst under control."

"Today then?" She asked, her voice slightly challenging. Aro's brows furrowed, slowly shaking his head but she continued. "Because I do not think I would be a danger to any human, not unless they were bleeding on me, and I need to return to Biloxi. I can feel something, Aro, something's wrong and I need to check on my family."

Aro took a moment, clasping his hands behind his back. "I'm afraid I don't think that is a good idea, Isabella. Not until we know for _certain_ that-"

"Please, Aro." She said suddenly, her dark red eyes searching his, the anxious feeling in her gut tripling at the prospect of not being able to _actually_ leave whenever she felt like. "I-I can _feel_ it. Something's _wrong_ and I _need_ to leave." Again, he began to shake his head. She viciously snarled, running a hand through her hair. "Then I _demand_ to leave. I won't stay another hour, Aro, I mean it."

"Isabella-"

_"No,"_ she roared, jerking forward and grabbing the front of his suit clad chest. "She needs me. You can't keep me from her." The little bit of red that had returned to her eyes disappeared, an animalistic glint in them. "You can't. I'm leaving and you _can't_ stop me, not even if you tried."

With a wolfish grin, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her shield. She pushed at it, thickened it, made it stronger until her image and her scent disappeared from sight. Aro, still awed by such a gift, and yet also annoyed at her in-agreeable ways, sighed deeply. He knew that she really could walk out of the castle forever at any time if she were quiet enough, and he also knew that if he kept pushing her, he'd just create more distance between them. But he _wanted_ that gift, and the only way he was going to get what he wanted was if he gave her what she wanted.

"Fine, Isabella. If you are so worried about your Alice, then you may leave and check on her." He waited but a moment before her image flickered back in as she weakened her shield again. "But, it would make _me_ feel better if you took someone from the guard with you, just in case. If you slip, we don't need a massacre to take care of-" He saw her roll those ruby red eyes. "_And_ if Alice really is in danger, you could use some help." And _he_ could use a pair of eyes on her in case she decided to just run. "If there is no danger, will you return to us?"

Bella gave him a guarded look, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll consider it." She wouldn't.

A giant grin spread across his face, clapping his hands together. "Wonderful! Who will you be taking with you on this little trip?"

"Demetri," she replied. "I can't…I don't remember how to get to Biloxi from here. I don't remember where I live, but he can track down my father." There was shame and a sadness that Aro couldn't understand in her voice as she said the words, but he nodded all the same, leaving to go retrieve the Tracker.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

The trip back to Mississippi had been longer and more tedious than Bella liked, especially in the company of Demetri.

Isabella Swan had never fit in anywhere, at any point in her life. Not when she was little, not when she got older, not when she was human, and certainly not when she became a vampire. She wasn't sure why or how, and was powerless to do anything about it. No matter how hard she tried she was just…different. Even if she was the same; if she spoke the same, acted the same, dressed the same, she was still…not.

It was no different amongst the Volturi. Her gift made her one of Aro's trophies and toys, or would have had she ever accepted his offer to join. He was obsessed and everyone knew it, and that made most of them curious as to why. She was disturbed by the amount of people always watching her, studying her, and once they knew her, alienating her. They couldn't pinpoint a reason either, but there was something about the girl that just made her stick out.

And sticking out, in the Volturi, was never healthy. The more important you were, the more dangerous life became.

So apart from her constant worrying, Bella had to put up with Demetri's scrutiny and study.

Thankfully they arrived at the outskirts of Biloxi before the girl exploded.

It was another rainy day, every other step they took was into a two inch deep puddle. Not that it really mattered; the two could have jumped into the lake and wouldn't have been any more wet than they already were from running through the rain.

Their pale, marble faces were dripping wet, the rain curling Bella's dark hair under her news boy cap. Humans, under their umbrella's and on their way home or to the market on the gloomy sunday afternoon, curiously peeked through the rain at the two most beautiful people they had ever seen, standing in the middle of the road. The lack of layers or even coats seemed unreasonable to them, and their shoes and pant-legs were most odd. The couple looked as if they had just walked straight out of the woods!

With a smile that made the humans' skin crawl, Demetri straightened his black tie, water oozing from it with the action. His ruby red eyes glanced sideways at his companion and met her own onyx ones, and even he had to admit how impressive her self control was. "Hide your face," he murmured quietly, gliding across the street and to the sidewalk, feeling the pull of his gift.

Swallowing down a pool of venom, Bella tilted the cap down and ducked her head as she followed him. The streets were all familiar, the houses all the same as she remembered, as were the people she could spot now and then. It was all information and places she knew but couldn't reach on her own, everything slowly trickling in as a reminder of this and that.

They stopped on one of the larger, longer streets, or rather, _Bella_ stopped. Demetri did as well once he noticed she wasn't following him anymore, and turned to look at her curiously. "This way," he urged, nodding in the direction Bella knew her old house was.

But something was wrong. Slowly, she shook her head and raised her hand, pointing down the long street. "No… this way. I can smell her and… and others. Like us." She said, furrowing her brows. "Something's wrong."

Demetri took a deep breath and growled low in his chest. The rain had diluted the sent almost to the point of nonexistent, but her newborn senses had picked it up and she was right. There were other vampires that had been by recently. Knowing that and knowing that this girl's mate -who else could she have such a connection with?- was in danger, he could put two and two together. "Hurry!"

Seemingly thinking along the same lines, Bella's face darkened and she began sprinting down the road, following her gut. Neighbours shook their heads in wonderment and watched the two pass before continuing on with their own lives. They found it strange that even _more_ beautiful people were racing off to the asylum at such an hour in the day. Who could they possibly be so excited to visit?

The brunette skidded to a stop in front of the iron gates surrounding the enormous white building. She shook her head, knowing what this place was and what the people were like who had been locked up inside.

Alice didn't belong here.

Why _was_ she here?

Her jaw clenched, fangs throbbing with her anger.

Had someone _locked_ her in there?

The rain pounding against the cement of the sidewalk and the road, the thunder booming high up in the sky, and the wind roaring through the air was enough to drown out the ruckus going on inside, and had they been human, they probably would have missed a piercing scream.

They weren't human, though, and Bella didn't blink before gripping the bars of the metal gate and pulling them apart with ease, enough to slip through them and onto the grounds. Demetri followed behind her, looking around to make sure there were no witnesses, and they blurred up to the large white, metal doors. He watched the brunette kick them open with more strength than she realized, and cringed at the screech they made as they slid across the tiled floor inside.

Bella expected people to gasp, she expected the widening of eyes in astonishment, or cries of fear. She expected large orderlies to try and restrain them while nurses called the police. What she _didn't_ expect was to run into a large wall of _hunger_. The air was thick with the aroma of blood, sweet and tantalizing, oh so tempting and setting her throat aflame. A second later she knew why and her hands flew up to cover her mouth in shock, her knees feeling weak.

The lobby was littered with bodies; nurses, orderlies, and pedestrians who were visiting family. Some of them were clearly drained while others were laying in pools of their own blood, with chairs and desks and papers all strewn about.

It looked like a wild animal had gotten loose inside and gone on a rampage.

The two looked up as someone came strolling around the corner from the hallways casually. He was fairly young looking with short dark hair and bright red eyes, his clothes looking quite old; ripped, stained, worn. What was alarming was the blood covering his jaw and neck, the wild, crazed look in his eyes. He crouched down low, barring blood covered fangs, and hissed dangerously.

The blonde beside her crouched down as well, growling fiercely as his eyes darkened. "Go find your Alice." He said before he was gone, merely a blur, and tackling the young boy through the wall.

She didn't hesitate, gliding across the lobby and down the hallway he had come from. There were more bodies along the way, this time from patients whose doors had been ripped off or kicked in. Bella shook her head and rubbed at her burning throat, forcing herself to continue down the hallway and not stop and rip into one of the few who hadn't been drained.

Turning down yet another hallway that ended too abruptly, Bella snarled and put her first through the brick wall beside her.

Why was this building such a _labyrinth_!

Finally she came to the right hallway and could see all the way down it at the end. There was one solid door, metal, with a small slot on in it that could only be opened from the front. There were two vampires standing in front of it, laughing and cackling to one another as they knocked on the door, growled, or taunted whoever was inside, clearly trying to mess with them. And from the crying and screaming inside it, their little fun was also clearly having an effect.

_"Stop!"_

A distant memory tried to surface from the fuzzy depths of Bella's mind but she didn't have time to try and make out what that memory was of because she was instantly filled with a burning, devouring rage for these vampires. That and a fierce, overwhelming urge to keep whoever was on the other side of the door safe.

She shot off like a bullet, remembering at the last second to thicken her shield until her image and scent flickered out of perception. The first vampire with dirty blonde hair tied at the back in a pony didn't have time to do anything but gasp as Bella gripped that pony and his shoulder. She snarled, the sound shaking the walls, and hurled him back off down the hallway.

"James!" The second, darker man gasped. He snarled, crouching down as his red eyes flickered around, trying to find their attacker. To say he was surprised when he got a powerful right hook to the face was an understatement as he landed on his back, feeling the side of his face break out in spiderweb cracks. He roared in pain as his ribs were repeatedly hit with powerful shots to the point where he couldn't breathe, not that he needed to.

His mate slid to a stop before him and James looked around with wild eyes, focusing on his mate. He tilted his head curiously and then something clicked and he growled to himself, too upset by his mate in pain to be impressed with this vampire's ability. "They're invisible!" He seethed, stalking forward to pull off their invisible assailant.

Only he didn't have the chance because the moment he stepped forward, the attacks on Laurent stopped and he suddenly got a foot to the chest, sending him smashing into the brick wall. He blinked and suddenly there was a blonde man in front of him, pinning him to the wall and snarling in his face. "I am Demetri of the Volturi, if you attack I _will_ kill you."

James' struggling stopped, albeit grudgingly. "What are you doing here? We've broken no laws."

"You will leave," Demetri ordered, ignoring his questions. He let the blonde man go and stepped back, smoothing out his wet clothes.

James seemed to have another idea, though. "Not until I get my target!" He snarled, pointing towards the metal door.

"You will leave, without your _obiettivo_, or you will face the consequences." Demetri said for a final time, giving him one last chance.

Finally Laurent got to his feet when he was sure no one would stop him and he blurred over to his mate, taking his pale hand. "Come on, before he changes his mind."

"It's just _one_," James hissed, watching as Demetri growled.

Laurent furiously shook his head. "No," he insisted. "It's not. I can smell him. I _couldn't_ smell the other one. There's more here than we think. Let's go."

Seeming to consider this, James threw one last frustrated look at the metal door before he nodded. He sneered at Demetri and then the two were off, blurring back through the building and off until Bella could no longer hear them.

Her image flickered back in a moment later and she rushed to the metal door, stopping in front of it. As soon as she knocked on the door she knew she had made a mistake and it was regretted the second Alice screamed from inside. Bella shook her head, pressing against the door. "I'm sorry, Alice! I didn't mean to scare you! It's me, Bella."

"Leave me alone!"

More than a little hurt, Bella shrank back away from the door. "But, Alice… it's _me_." She said quietly. She frowned, grabbing a good handle of the door and with less effort than she thought, pulled the thing right from the wall. She let it fall to the ground beside her with a loud clang, and peered inside of the pitch black room.

A small rumble vibrated in her chest, her anger spiking. Everyone who knew Alice _knew_ she was afraid of the dark. How could someone _lock_ her in a room with no window and no light?

"Alice?" Bella called gently as she slowly entered the room. Her eyes, quickly adjusting to the darkness so she could see, spotted a small form huddled in the corner of the room. "Alice!" She gasped, blurring over to the trembling, rocking form.

The tiny girl flinched away, burying her face in her knees. "Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone," she chanted over and over and over again.

Feeling her heart seize in her chest, Bella crouched down next to Alice, hesitantly reaching out to put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Alice," she murmured, her red eyes flickered over the girl. "What did they do to you?"

The younger girl's hair was short, much shorter than Bella remembered, and her body petite to the extreme like she hadn't eaten in days. Those electric blue eyes were dull and blank with dark purple circles under them, her face looking hallow. There were bruises on her wrists and ankles where she had been restrained many times over the years, and track marks along her arms where hundreds of shots had been given. Her white cotton shorts and shirt were dirty and it was clear that she hadn't bathed in a long while, and everything about her was making Bella furious to the point that the vampire had to walk away from her, afraid that she might hurt Alice.

She took a deep breath out in the hall, ignoring Demetri telling her to hurry up before humans came to see what happened, and went back into the room. Bella forced herself to smile and crouched back down in front of Alice. "Look at me, please." Bella said gently, trying to duck her face to catch that blue gaze. She frowned when the girl continued to stare down at her own bare feet. "Alice, please," Bella murmured. "It's Bella."

"I…I…don't…_know _a…Bella," The girl whispered to the floor, still rocking back and forth. The brunette didn't know whether to be relieved or not at the lack of fear in her voice, but why was she talking like that?

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "You _do_, Alice. Look at me, you know _me_."

Finally those blue eyes flickered up to her and she smiled brightly, eagerly. Her smile slowly fell though at the blank look on Alice's face; no realization, no recognition, nothing. "No. No, no, no, I don't. Leave me alone."

Demetri entered the room then, looking alert. "Humans are close by, trying to get into the building from the front. I pushed everything in front of the doors but they _will_ get in eventually. We need to leave now."

Nodding, Bella swiftly tucked her arms under Alice's knees and back, lifting her up as she stood. "Aurora or Aro can help her."

"Leave the girl here, we can't bring her with us." Demetri said, looking back down the hallway.

The brunette shook her head. "No, I have to help her. She's coming with us."

"Absolutely not. Do you know how difficult it will be traveling with a human? One who has lost their mind, too?" Demetri growled, glaring at them.

Holding the human close to her chest, Bella let out a fierce snarl. "If _she's _not going to Italy then _I'm_ not going to Italy, do you understand? I _won't_ leave her again."

Alice marvelled at the lack of heat and heart beat this girl had, her ear pressed up against a cool chest. How was that possible?

Demetri and Bella started at each other for minutes, both waiting for the other to back down, and when it became clear that Bella wasn't going to, Demetri sighed. He knew Aro wanted Bella, at any cost, and finally he reluctantly agreed. "Alright, but she is _your_ responsibility."

With one last pit stop at Alice's house for a change of clothes, Bella snatched the bunny she had won the girl all those years ago, and they left into the night.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Aro started laughing, the sound more joyous than Bella liked and she clenched her jaw to keep from saying something. The older vampire had tossed his head back to bark out his laughter and even Caius had a small smirk as they sat on their thrones. Marcus gazed at Alice curiously while Aurora glared at the human for some reason Bella didn't have the patience or time to try and figure out.

The brunette stood in front of them, a sleeping human in her arms as she glared. "Please, Aro, you must!"

"My dear, sweet, Isabella," the man cooed, looking at her as if she were a child. "I cannot simply _fix_ amnesia. Do I look like a doctor to you?" His mind flashed to an old, golden eyed friend, and knew he could contact the good doctor if there were no way around this.

Bella shook her head. "There must be _something_ you can do! Look at her, she's… she's broken! Empty!" And, though Bella couldn't bring herself to admit it out loud, rather dark. It was like the darkness of that room had tainted her, seeped into her bones, and Bella had noticed a startling lack of empathy for _anything_ and _anyone_ from Alice. She hadn't batted an eyelash when Demetri fed, was openly rude and _sneered_ at people who gave them curious glances, and ignored Bella every time she reached out to her.

This was _not_ her Alice.

"Chelsea might be able to help with that," Marcus put in, seeing the distraught look on the girl's face. "She has a unique gift of severing and establishing ties within a person. I'm sure that with Aurora's help and gift, the two could do… _something_ about this." He said, already reaching his hand out to his brother.

Aro's lips curled up in a grin, his eyes dancing as he glanced over at his brother. "I shall never get tired of such a mind as yours, Marcus." His red eyes shifted to the other side and met Aurora's. "Can you do something about this?"

She hesitated, distaste colouring her voice as she continued to scowl at the human her Isabella was clutching so fiercely to. "Yes, I believe I can."

"What?" Bella asked, stepping forward. "What can you do to help her?"

Tapping his chin and crossing one leg over the other, Aro studied the two in front of him; the loving embrace Isabella had the human wrapped up in. "Just how much do you love your Alice?"

"More than anything." She didn't miss a beat.

Marcus shifted in his own seat. "More than your own happiness?"

"Absolutely," Bella nodded and ignored the Queen's scoff.

"I can do nothing about this amnesia she has," Aro decided, getting up from his throne. "But I _can_ give her back that…light she is missing." He said, staring disdainfully at the human in Bella's arms. "This emptiness you speak of, and everything you don't." Bella opened her mouth but Aro held up his hand. "I may not be able to read your mind, dear Isabella, but that doesn't mean I can't read your eyes. This is all assuming, of course, that you're willing to part with your _own_ light."

Their eyes locked and Aro could see not a spec of hesitation or doubt in her. "I am," she agreed.

"Wonderful!" He cheered, clapping his hands together. "Then this should be an easy switch-and-swap between you two and she'll be good as new by the time her Change is done."

"What?" Bella gasped, staggering back. "You…what…you want to bite her?"

Caius glared down at her, a small growl rumbling in his chest. "We warned you of the laws. She knows too much, you will change her or we will kill her."

Bella looked over to Aro again with raised eyebrows, watching as he shrugged. "It's true, my Isabella. Think of it this way, though, you will have eternity with your mate."

"But-"

"This is _her_ price that must be paid," Aro declared, sitting back down on his throne. His eyes bore into Bella's and she stepped backwards again. Slowly she nodded, accepting that it was the only way to save Alice. "Now what is yours?"

"Mine?"

He grinned wolfishly. "This is a lot of effort to go through, switching between you two. What do _I_ get out of this little deal, hm?"

She looked back down at Alice in her arms, blinking at the sting of tears she knew would never fall. It was quite obvious what Aro wanted from her, what he only _ever_ wanted, and she knew he would accept nothing else.

Alice needed help, though. The longer she was like…this, the more and more she would lose herself, and Bella didn't know how else to stop it.

"A century," she muttered.

Aro perked up, very clearly pleased. "What's that?" He asked, holding a hand to his ear.

She glared up at him. "A century, one hundred years of my life, under the Volturi rule to do with as you see fit. That's what you want, isn't it? One hundred years seems plenty for the favour you're doing me."

One hundred years to convince her to stay permanently, Aro grinned. "Plenty, indeed. Starting when, exactly?"

"Now."

Aro nearly squealed with excitement and was practically bouncing in his seat. "Marvellous!" he cried ecstatically. "Jane, dear, run and fetch me Chelsea, would you? Isabella, are there any smaller terms I should be aware of before we begin?" He asked, grinning from ear to ear.

Bella gazed back down into Alice's face, knowing that without this deal, the only time it would ever be peaceful was when she was asleep like this. "You leave her alone. When you change her, you give her this," she held out the bunny with a piece of paper pinned to it, the girl's name on it. Bella hadn't even been able to get _that_ out of her. "You take her back closer to home, and you _never_ go looking for her again."

The older vampire nodded, his face serious. "This is reasonable," he agreed. His eyes lit up when the doors to the throne room opened again. "Ah, Chelsea, good to see you again! Come, meet Isabella and Alice."

The brunette looked over her shoulder and watched as they took Alice out of the throne room, the girl already starting to whimper and thrash around from the venom in her system. She frowned and turned back, staring down at her knees and watched as the smallest crimson drop fell from her chin and onto the marble floor. With each step Demetri took, the farther away Alice got, she could feel less and less.

She had thought it was going to be slow, little by little, piece by piece, like a numbing feeling until she couldn't feel anything at all. But this…it wasn't like that. One quick burst of _everything_; her joy, her happiness, her love, her compassion and empathy, kind and thoughtfulness, her _light_, all of it was just there and _so good_ it was almost overwhelming, and then….then it was gone. Just like that. She was left cold, empty, hallow, and… and she _didn't_ care.

It just _was_ and it didn't seem to matter.

Not _really_. She knew she should be upset and that she should be upset about _not_ being upset, but then everything was happening so fast and she was biting Alice and then Alice was being taken away and now here she was, kneeling on the marble floor, alone with…

Nothing.

And she really, _really_, didn't care.

Aro was talking again, she realized that dimly somewhere past the void, and her empty eyes looked up at him, giving him an almost uncertain pause for a moment before he smiled and waved at someone. Then there was a human in front of her and Aro's voice in her ear explaining that this would complete their deal and make it official, and that if she was going to be around here now she was going to feed like the rest of them.

As Bella stared down into frantic green eyes, she realized that this was the first of many things she was going to do that she should be repulsed by.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'Give unto me your troubles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~I'll endure your suffering~_

_~Place onto me your burden~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll drink your deadly poison.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

**Hello dear readers!**

**I told you this chapter was long, too. I hope y'all reviewed the other one first. **

**What'd you think of this one, though? Like it? Dislike it? How about Bella punching old Aro right in the face, eh? **

**I feel like I should explain Bella's gift in a little more detail here so you all can follow along. Because, no, I didn't give her more than one gift. I just chose to expand that give and what she can do with it, something SMeyer, and I guess no one else, ever really thinks to do because they don't want to create one of the annoying super Bella's where she can do everything? Which this isn't! She CANT do everything! She just knows how to use her gift in its entirety. **

**Bella, like in the canon series, has a shield as her gift. She can strengthen the one in her mind that protects her from mental abilities, until it shields her image and her scent from people like you see quite a bit in this chapter. It can shield her from others' senses; sight, smell, taste, but not touch or sound because she can only shield HERSELF, her body, or other's she puts her shield around. But she can't physically take her body from reality, from that plane of existence because that's not a shield, so obviously they can still touch her, and while invisible, if she kicks a stone and brushes against a shelf and things fall, those objects are going to make noise because she can't shield them. However, as a vampire with her grace and agility, she, like others, can move silently if careful enough.**

**The other part of her gift is turning her shield into a separate and physical force. Like an actual shield, though you can't see it. She can push it from her with her mind, or swing it around like any regular shield, thus slamming Heidi off and away from her in the previous chapter. That WAS NOT telekinesis; she CANNOT grab and move people/things with her mind, only her shield. She CAN, however, pin people to walls and floors or even ceilings, with it, as you will see in later chapters. **

**Alright, I feel like I've explained the SHYZA out of her gift now and we can move on. If you have more questions about it, send me a message and I'll be happy to answer.**

**And how about that Aurora? I felt things were getting a little old with three old dudes as rulers of the Volturi. Thought I'd spice things up with a Queen. Let me warn y'all right now, though; throughout this story you're not going to know if you like or hate her. I don't even know if I like or hate her. She's a …complicated gal, let's just say. **

**So review and stay tuned!**

…**Well, don't ACTIVELY stay tuned for this one yet. Keep reading the others for now. I'll let you know through other A/Ns when to come on back over here and stay tuned.**

**-Paige**


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